When we first hear that our dog might have bone cancer, we tend to beat ourselves up and wonder “how did we miss it?” You may be wondering what to expect with bone cancer in dogs and cats now.
First, forgive yourself; the symptoms aren’t always easily noticed.
What to Expect
Dog Bone Cancer Warning Signs
Sometimes bone cancer makes a sudden appearance as a lump in the leg, or in worst case scenario, as a pathologic fracture.
But in most dogs, bone cancer shows up slowly, often over a few months. A normally energetic dog may begin fatiguing after walking or playing. Some dogs will grumble when touched in a certain spot. A few dogs lose their appetite.
In older dogs, these symptoms are often mistaken for arthritis and in younger dogs, muscle sprains. Many vets opt to take the least scary (and most cost-effective) route to a diagnosis before even mentioning “bone cancer.” The dog is usually put on pain relief medicines to see if the problem goes away. Usually another round of tests aren’t ordered until it becomes clear the medicines aren’t helping.
Diagnosis: What to Expect with Bone Cancer in Dogs and Cats
One of the first steps in diagnosing bone cancer is for your veterinarian to perform a complete physical exam, blood tests and x-rays. “In most cases, bone cancer can be diagnosed with an X-ray,” says Tripawd member and long-time supporter Dr. Pam Wiltzius of River Road Animal Hospital in Puyallup, Washington.
In the following video, Dr. Wiltzius explains the process of diagnosing canine bone cancer in dogs:
Learn about amputation and what to expect with Tripawds eBook, “Three Legs & A Spare: A Canine Amputation Handbook.”
When it comes to diagnosing bone cancer in dogs, Dr. Wiltzius shares these facts…
The most common locations where bone cancer appears are:
In the front legs, normally in the:
- distal radius (above the wrist joint)
- proximal humerus (upper arm bone, close to the shoulder blade)
Or, in a dog’s rear legs, in the:
- Proximal tibia, or
- Distal femur (right above or below knee cap)
Once your vet takes the radiograph of the suspected area, she may consult with a specialist who can confirm whether or not a bone tumor is growing in the limb. If the bone tumor is abnormal in appearance, a biopsy may need to be taken.
Biopsies
There are two types of biopsies:
Fine Needle Aspirate
According to Dr. Wiltzius, a fine needle aspirate biopsy is fairly easy to perform. The veterinarian will inject a needle into the tumor area that’s seen on the radiograph. Besides performing this biopsy on the leg, this type of biopsy can also be done when tumors are present on other parts of the skeleton, such as the skull or spine. After withdrawing the cells, the sample is sent to the lab and examined for cancer.
The disadvantage of a fine needle aspirate is that it can sometimes give a false-negative reading because the bone tumor may be too hard to reach with the needle.
Bone Biopsies
When a fine needle aspirate gives an inconclusive reading, a veterinarian will recommend a bone marrow biopsy. This is performed using a wider needle instrument that must reach through the cortex (center) of the bone, in order to get a large enough area to sample.
A bone biopsy can provide a definitive diagnosis, but it is extremely painful, requires recovery time and by taking such a large sample of bone, it can put the dog at risk of a pathological fracture. In most cases, this procedure is bypassed if a dog parent knows they will proceed with amputation no matter what the final diagnosis.
Where you live may play a role in whether or not your vet thinks its worthwhile to perform the bone biopsy procedure. For example, in areas where canine fungal diseases are prevalent (the U.S. Midwest and Southwest), vets may recommend it. This is because fungal infections can look like bone cancer on radiographs and cause similar symptoms. If your vet thinks a fungal disease is the issue, it might make more sense to take a bone biopsy prior to amputation, since fungal infections can be treated and don’t require removing the leg.
Can a Biopsy Determine Survival Time?
Bone cancer biopsies help determine the grade of the cancer, but the grade won’t determine survival time. According to Dr. Wiltzius, if a biopsy shows a high grade bone cancer, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the dog won’t live longer than dog with a low grade bone cancer. And the reverse is true; a dog with a low grade bone cancer might not last as long as a dog with a higher grade.
What does help determine the survival time is determining whether or not the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. If cancer is found in the lymph node, it indicates that the cancer has spread beyond the leg and the dog’s survival time may be shorter than most.
However, according to Dr. Wiltzius, just because there’s cancer in the lymph node doesn’t mean you shouldn’t proceed with amputation. For most dogs who are suitable amputation candidates, the most humane thing that can be done for the dog is to remove the source of the horrible pain they are in as soon as possible and let them live out their days pain-free. Whether chemotherapy is chosen doesn’t mattter at that point; all that matters is that the pain is gone.
Learn more about amputation and what to expect with Tripawds downloadable eBook, “Three Legs & A Spare: A Canine Amputation Handbook.”
What About Lung Metastasis?
Most vets will take chest radiographs before amputation. If lung metastasis (cancer growths) aren’t seen in the lungs, it’s a good sign that the cancer hasn’t aggressively spread throughout his body. But even with “clean” radiographs, remember that 90 percent of dogs already have cancer cells in their lungs at the time of surgery – it’s just that the cells are too microscopic to be seen. Sadly, clean lungs at the time of surgery doesn’t necessarily mean that cancer won’t appear there later.
The most import thing to remember about what to expect with bone cancer is that as long as your dog is not showing inward (or outward) signs of cancer, they will have a better chance of living a longer, healthier life and beating the bone cancer odds once the affected limb is removed. If a dog is a good candidate for life on three legs, just because a dog has a high grade tumor doesn’t necessarily mean that amputation is a bad idea.
Many thanks to Dr. Pam Wiltzius for helping us bring this information to the Tripawds community. Stay tuned for more canine bone cancer and amputation surgery information.
Recommended Reading
Tripawds Community’s What to Expect amputation information about cats and dogs.
My 2 1/2 year old German Shepard/Terrier mix was diagnosed with bone cancer in her front left leg. We opted for amputation because her lungs looked clear and she was so young! She healed up well and for a few weeks to a month she was doing well, then she took a turn for the worse. We had to to goodbye last Saturday because she was in such pain. I really miss her! Lucy fought so hard!
We are so sorry for your loss Donna. Your girl was so young, what a terrible blow. Please let us support you in our Discussion Forums if you’d like, our Coping with Loss Forum is a good place to be at a tough time like this.
Hi, my puppy has a bump on her upper wrist i tried to apply some ice packs and ill see if it works, i know i’m suppose to talk to a vet but i dont have enough money to pay some consultation, so i’m just continuing to search to confirm if this is a bone cancer, she seems fine can walk or run without limping , but im still worried about the bump , could this be a sign that she has bone cancer?
Aubrey, please please please have the bump looked at right away. Dogs are SO GOOD at hiding pain, if this is some kind of cancer, your dog may be in serious pain even if she does not look like it. There are ways that you can get the cost of vet care covered. Call your local animal shelter and ask for some local resources that can help you pay for care. Hopefully this bump is not serious but nobody can tell what it is just by looking at it. Whatever this is it needs to be diagnosed by a vet right away. Please.
Thursday March 25, 2021
Clover our 8 year old Australian Shepard has vet appointment today at 8:30am. She has come to the past couple of days with limp in her left front paw. Her original vet can’t see her till April 30, 2021. I go to work as as usual and my Husband drops off so she can be vaccinated and they will xray her paw. At 3.00pm I get call from vet they inform me Clover will be ready for pick up this afternoon at 5:30pm. My husband had a doctor’s appointment this afternoon and will swing by the vet and pick Clover up and bring her home. At home waits her little brother a 5 year old Golden Retriever and an 12 year old flat hair pointer Kahlua. My husband bring Clover in who is disturbingly disoriented and tired. What I thought would be a diagnosis of arthritis and some anti-inflammatory medication diagnosis turned out to be bone cancer. Our world was turned upside down in more ways one. We where to make her as comfortable as we could I phoned the vet the next day about our options and she ran down the amputation, Chemotherapy and radiation treatments and if all was done maybe we bought another 10 months at most. We chose to keep comfortable as best we could with what time she had left. This is the first I have ever had to deal with bone cancer. We visited all her favorite places, took her down to the river every chance we could, had a bon fire out back everynight and the sunset. To watch her deteriorate at such a quick pace pained me on so many different levels. With joint custody of Clover it was not my decision to make but my sons decision of when we would have her euthanized. Not an easy decision to make but a guided one. There were to sides to our Clovy girl the playful side she showed to our son and the deep connected side of her soul she would let me see. I spent every free moment I had l)with her comforting her, talking to her letting her know it was OK to go if she was tired I understood. Our son had made arrangements for Friday April 23,2021 at 11:00am the vet was to come to our home and help Clover cross over the Rainbow Bridge. She is to be cremated and her ashes returned to us. It did not work out this way, Wednesday evening when it was time for bed she insisted I continue to lay on her bed stoke her gently face to face. When I thought she was asleep I would try to get to bed myself this never happened she started with a soft moan which continued to around 3:00am she finally fell asleep. I knew then this was the last time I would comfort Clover and called my son her boy as we called him. He showed up at 7:00am that morning to drive her into the vet to ease her nervousness. This was yesterday morning and the loss we feel is immeasurable. The pain runs so deep I physically hurt. We had plans to ease her pain we just never had the chance. This bone cancer she had rapidly took her but her love for us hid her pain. Up until Wednesday she would play not as fast as she used to be, she had her meals with the others. She greeted me everyday when I had come home from work as usual with the rest of the dogs. She slept a little longer as to be expected. We lost our Clover exactly a month from her receiving her bone cancer diagnosis. I am thankful for the last month and all my spare time devoted to keeping her comfortable and happy. Any advice on how to help my remaining fur babies cope with the loss of Clover would be greatly appreciated.
Oh Laura, my heart goes out to you, I’m so very, very sorry. You did your best for Clover, she knew she was so loved and treasured by your family, no dog could ask for more. Thank you for sharing your journey with us, it couldn’t have been easy. I encourage you to come join us in Coping with Loss so that the community can provide input about helping your other doggos cope with her loss. Dogs do grieve, and my best advice is to spend as much time as you can with them, to let them know that you acknowledge their grieving and you are there for them. Do the things they love to do, and your pack will return to normal when the grieving is done. I’m so very sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry to hear about your beloved Australian Shepard. We too, just lost our 11 year old golden retriever to osteosarcoma. Our story sounds much like yours!! We have always kept our boy active. People would be so shocked when they found out his age. He was always so healthy, and even eating, drinking, and going to the washroom normally right up until the end. Unfortunately the pain was so unbearable for him and we couldn’t stand to see him that way. It is so devastating to see how fast they decline when they’re given the diagnosis. We originally took him in on March 8 for an intermittent limp which was diagnosed as arthritis and muscle atrophy. We started him on Meticam, which was very effective for the first 10 days. He then started back with the intermittent limping, which was more pronounced after his walks. A few weeks later, we noticed a lump on his front leg and took him to the vet on April 21. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma after xrays and biopsy. We elected palliative care and he was then started on gabopentin in combination with the Metacam. That seemed to help for a few days, then we also introduced Amantadine. With all 3 medications, and even increasing the gabopentin, he was euthanized on April 30, only 9 days after his osteosarcoma diagnosis. His pain was increasingly getting worse as each day passed even with all the medications. We are so heartbroken and I feel your pain. Our pets are never with us long enough, but I like to think that we have our boy the best life possible and he had a great life with us. Sorry for your loss!
Kim we are deeply sorry for your loss. May your heart find comfort in all of the good times you shared during his lifetime. He was a lucky boy to have you.
My deepest condolences go out to you Kim and your family. I have a 5 year old Golden Retriever who mourns our beloved Clover girl. It’s been 3 weeks since we let our Clover girl go and there are days still I ponder what just happened last month. The swiftness of this type of cancer baffles me. Keeping you in my thought and feeling your pain.
Three days ago, we got the news that our 7-year-old Saint Bernard has bone cancer. A month ago, she’d started limping on her left front leg. We thought it was just a sprain from exerting herself as we recently got a puppy, and the two love to play rough. Our vet also thought it was a minor sprain. But the limp didn’t go away and suddenly it worsened overnight. So we took her to the vet again and x-rays revealed that she has bone cancer.
Our vet said she’s not a good candidate for an amputation as she has hip dysplasia and is very large at 175 pounds. He said she only has, at most, two months to live.
My family and I are absolutely devastated. We love her so much. We’ve decided to take this one day at a time and euthanize her when her quality of life declines.
Bobette, we encourage you to come visit our Discussion Forums and chat with others. Please get a second opinion: we have had many members provide their giant breed dogs with an excellent quality of life on three legs, including Saint Bernard Thurston, now 2 years post amputation because of osteosarcoma. Hope to see you in our Forums.
I am so sorry it is so hard. I understand what you’re going through. We took our 8 year old Saint (Cookie) in yesterday because she suddenly, in just a few days, stopped putting any weight in her right hind leg. We thought it was her arthritis acting up. They found osteosarcom and a comminuted fracture in her stifle. We are crushed, she is such a big love and such a loyal friend. They saod she may have 6.months if weeave the leg. And gave us the option of amputation with maybe a year before it shows up elsewhere. She’s on a lot of pain medication for now. We have opted to have her euthanized next week and will have her cremated so we can keep her with us wherever we go. Our hearts go out to all of you who are going through this. It is most certainly devastating news to get. It was the last thing I would have thought was wrong with her she has been so healthy up until this. God bless
Daree I’m so sorry that your pup was diagnosed. I know that this is a tough decision, but I really encourage you to seek another opinion and check out stories like Thurston the Saint or Patchy the Saint, so you can see that for many giant breed dogs, life on three legs can be great even for big dogs. Please join us in Size and Age Matters for more input from the community. No judgement, we will support you either way. We send all our love to you and Cookie.
Thank for sharing…my Sasha girl a beautiful Doberman I adopted 8 years ago was just diagnosed…I am beside myself..Your stories have helped me come to terms with it. She’s pain free and still active but I know the inevitable is coming.
Bobby we are deeply sorry you got the bad news. We understand how you feel and are so glad you found us. There is hope for better days and a long, happy life. Please join us in the Discussion Forums where we can help you along and you can meet members like Dobemom, Nitro’s human. I know she would love to meet you two. See you there OK?
Bobby my 6 year old adopted doberman Bruno was just diagnosed today. we are shattered.
Dan, we are sorry to hear that. Be sure to join the Discussion Forums so we can help you in the journey, and check out Nitro’s story (reading from the beginning) for some inspawration too!
When Biggz was 3yrs old he was hit by a van that was going 50-55mph. A fire chief saw the whole thing happen,and pretty much saved my dog. The woman in the van didn’t even stop!!! The chief said she was texting on her phone. As he’s helping my dog,another volunteer fighter stopped and ended up taking him 20 miles away to an emergency vet. He (Biggz) couldn’t use his back legs. At that time he weighed 140lbs. Next morning I get a call and I find all of this out. Well,when I took him to our vet a week later,he told me to save $ cause he was thinking of taking his rear left leg. Well,Biggz was telling him in his voice”bull!!!! I’m going to show you”!!!! He was walking that night!!!
He is a Rott n Lab. He is now 11 yrs old,has used his back left leg like a kickstand but can run n jump like he was normal. Until,2 weeks ago. My HAPPY ALL THE TIME DOG isn’t so happy. The vet thinks its bone cancer. And,happens to be on his left front leg.
I don’t know what to do. He’s on pain meds n gabapentin. I’m on a fixed income and don’t have a clue how much this is going to cost. They wont take payments….☹
I’ve had him since he was 4 months old,after I put my 15 yrs old ‘Rock’ to rest.
Best wishes for Biggz! Check out this growing list of veterinary financial aid resources.
Hi, my dog was diagnosed with bone cancer 1 month ago she is on pain meds .. would like to know after amputation how much longer did your dog live ? and would you do it again?
Jerry loved life on three legs for 2 years, without any IV chemotherapy. You will find many more stories from others in the blogs and forums where some dogs survived much longer. Every dog is different. For the best feedback from others please post in the forums or start here for help finding the many Tripawds resources!
3 weeks ago my 9 year old Rottie was diagnosed with bone cancer. I’m devastated. The vet said it has already spread throughout his body because of the weight loss. He has his good days and he has his not so good days. Whenever I touch him, he flinches. WHY? Is it painful for him when I touch him. Taking him to an oncologist tomorrow. I think I need an expert to tell me what his quality of life is at this moment. I don’t want him to suffer any longer, but I’m so depressed thinking about losing my boy. I have another furbaby… Max, he is a black lab. How is this going to affect him?
Hello Ida. I’m sorry to hear about your boy. Rest assured you are doing the best thing possible by visiting an oncologist. I hope you get hopeful news today. Please come back and visit us in our Discussion Forums so we can help you better OK?
I’m so sorry to hear this. We just learned that our 10 1/2 old English Mastiff has bone cacner – in her front leg. We are devastated and I’m just sick to my stomach trying to figure out what is the right path of treatment for her. Be strong for your furbaby. He is lucky to have you.
What are you sorry to hear!? Jerry loved life on three legs for two years, without chemotherapy, and this was back in 2007! Besides, it’s all about quality of life now, not quantity. Please listen to our Be More Dog podcast, to learn how to follow your pup’s lead on this journey. And sshhhhhh…she does not know she has cancer!
Ida I’m going through the same! Vet is saying she has suspicious Bristol femur cancer in her June leg she has been limping. I’m so lost and confused. Taking her to oncologist on Monday I don’t want to lose my baby girl but I don’t want her to suffer.
Karen, best wishes for your girl. Please start here for help finding the many Tripawds resources, post in the forums for more feedback from others, or call the toll-free Helpline anytime!
My almost 11.5 year old Golden was born a tripawd and has proven that there is very little a tripawd can’t do. She participated in Obedience, Rally-O, Field, Tracking, Scenting, Agility, and also learned Flyball. She has had a breathing condition for over five years now and was just getting over a bout of pneumonia when bone cancer was discovered. It’s been 28 days since the ‘official’ discovery, but I had taken her in a few weeks earlier because she was lame in her hind leg … Our vets conclusion was it (the lameness) was to be expected because she was missing her front limb. This diagnosis didn’t sit well with me so I took her to a physiotherapist who gave use some exercises to work on … When she refused to even attempt to put weight on her back leg, I knew something else was wrong and made another veterinary appointment. It’s so frustrating that all the vets cared about was that they weren’t the ones to miss it. Because she is already missing a limb amputation isn’t seen as feasible and also the fact that the vet felt that it was an aggressive cancer based on the radiograph (although the lungs aren’t showing anything),. We were basically sent home with medication for 28 days and told that we would have to decide to let her go when the pain became too much. I’m sure like everyone else has experienced that initially being told you dog has cancer was a shock, but by the next morning we were researching figuring out how to beat this. The last few days have been the roughest … which is why I landed on this page … I have found so much information on how awful Bone Cancer is and all the statistics, but it’s difficult to find much on signs to look for as your best friend either beats the problem or progresses further. We have found the weather plays a huge role in pain levels, but recently there is fluid accumulating in her leg. The femur goes up and down in size … When it’s small we have hope the cancer cells are dying, but then there is a large mass again. It’s such a confusing thing to be working through with our girl. We hope to beat the ‘Big C’, but we also know there are many things going against us.
Sarah I am so sorry to hear that about your pup. I would recommend meeting with an oncologist, there are other options such as radiation therapy that can alleviate the pain and maybe even reduce the tumor, as well as new immunotherapies that can be tried. I hope you find something for her soon. Please keep in touch in our Forums.
My 2yr 9month old red heeler has just been diagnosed with bone cancer, we are devestated, willow is way too young to have cancershe is booked in on Friday to have her back leg amputated! I hope that after surgery she will be pain free and live a normal life with three legs and be her normal self
Best wishes for Willow. Please start here for help finding the many Tripawds resources and assistance programs.
This is the second time in my life with my boy, Jagen, that I have waited after a limp to bring him to the vet. I’ve had rotties since the 80’s and it seems that I spent more wasted time at vets then not. So in my great wisdom-twice-I waited hoping it’ll work its way out. First cost me a second ligament tear on the opposite leg
and misery for my boy and now delayed bone cancer diagnosis. If I’d of brought him in sooner…….they are so stoic! He doesn’t act like he’s in pain. I will never, ever do anything like that again. With the bone cancer, he started limping and I thought his nails were the problem. He’s super active and a jumper. No other signs. If I’ve a forever rottie owner like I am, I will now no better. Once he wouldn’t put his foot down and he wasn’t going towards better the answer to get to my vet was clear. So, now I’m posting on the post page for Tripawds. Thank you and also my thoughts are with all of you who are working through this along with my baby boy and I . I’ve learned a lot and we’re finding help during this unusual time. This is a new hiking trail we’re on. He’s with me and I’m sure we’ll experience some pretty interesting and life changing things here too. The Best to Everyone and your Babies. Jagens mom, Sherri
Amazing.. I have a Boston Bulldog, had been favoring his left hind leg for the last couple of weeks, thought it just his hips hurting, he is 11. Took him in for an exam and x-rays and they said it is cancer in his lower left back leg. X-rays are at surgeons today and should know if he is a candidate for amputation, baring finding any other signs of the cancer in his system. I keep praying for the best, he is very active, and don’t act like he is any pain at all. Even the vet said he couldn’t believe how much he runs around.
Best wishes for your pup! For help finding MANY more Tripawds resources and assistance programs, start here.
Christine my 12 1/2 year old Golden had her left hind leg amputated due to pain associated with chondrosarcoma only a month ago. I was completely devastated at the prospect but she has done amazingly and it is clear she is comfortable and pain free. She had shown acute signs of pain since mid September and I had been trying to get to the bottom of it. The local vet diagnosed severe arthritis but pain meds weren’t helping ( in fact they distressed her more). I requested a referral to a specialist. In hindsight I believe she had been in considerable pain for longer than I care to think about. I have no regrets. Her eyes are bright and her tail waggy. So blessed to have her with me. Sending best wishes.
My Pippin (12-1/2 y.o. golden) has been ridiculously active, running 6 days a week (a 5K 3x/wk, 1 mile the other 3) and walking daily. I noticed a bit of stiffness in his back legs, but chalked it up to arthritis. He ran and fell on the steps and I thought, “well, he moves fast, and they’re hardwood, so they’re slippery.” Last Saturday, he leapt up onto the bed and missed, and I figured he was just getting old. He was limping a little, but it stopped and my husband took him for a 5K run. The next day the limping was worse, and we figured he’d overdone it. By Tuesday, I’d taken him to the vet because he wasn’t putting any weight on the back foot. I thought he’d pulled a muscle, sprained something, maybe, worst case scenario, he’d torn his ACL. The diagnosis of osteosarcoma threw me for a loop. He’s been pretty good since they gave us painkillers – no runs, obviously – and he hasn’t had any loss of appetite or energy. It’s devastating. The chest x-ray seems to be clean. We’re meeting with an veterinary orthopedic specialist on Thursday. I hate to think of his losing a leg, but I know it’s what’s best.
Christine we are sorry to hear about Pippin but glad that at least you guys know what you’re dealing with, that’s a great start. The vet team you’re assembling will be so helpful in this journey. He sounds like he has so much living to do, life on 3 legs will be a breeze for your energetic senior if you decide to go that route. Whichever way you go know that we are here to support you no matter what. Keep us posted, we’ll be sending our best.
Christine, how is Pippin? How’d it go for you guys?
Hi i just joined here my 8 yr old Brutus just had his left rear leg removed on tue 10/3/17 he broke it on sunday evening on mon dr said the xrays showed bone cancer im crushed we are hoping it hasnt spread xrays of his lungs were clear and his lymphnodes felt normal. Hes doing well getting around hes my baby and id be list without him im trying to read everything i can on living with 3 legs and what to expect .any advice?
Welcome and best wishes for Brutus! Start here for help navigating the many helpful resources and assistance programs Tripawds has to offer!
My 9 year old rottweiler was diagnosed 3 days ago, it was the worst day of my life. We noticed Peyton had a lump on her rear leg. We went to the vet thinking, oh it’s just an infection or a cyst since she is an older dog. To our worst fears after the x Ray’s came back the vet just asked us to look at them, we asked is it bad? She replied yes. We asked if it was cancer? She said yes. She as we are looking at the xrays I am just in so much pain I just walk out, and go back to be with Peyton. She came in the room with us and gave us our options, and gave us a 30 day period before the cancer kills her. So we can give her 4 months more of life by amputating her leg, or do chemotherapy that would give her six months more. We decided since she has lived a full life and did not want to put her through all of that, we decided to take her home with medicine and live her life out until either she passes or her quality of life is no longer good and we would have her euthanized. I hope this helps.
David we are so sorry about the diagnosis. We know how upsetting it is. And whatever anyone chooses for their animal, as long as it’s made with love and the individual animal in mind, that is the only “right” decision. Your love for Peyton rings true in your choice for palliative care. We hope she has many good days ahead with you. Thank you for sharing your story.
I too just found out my baby girl Mi Bella has leg cancer . I have not stopped crying . she is a saint . It is not in her lungs yet and they say her heart looks good . But it is eating her leg bone away and can break all we can do is pray at this point .
They gave her meds . We ask how long she had but they could not say . At this point I guess all I can do is love her as we make each other so happy I have had her for 6 years we have been one from when she was only 10 weeks old . she is my world .
Judy we’re sorry to hear about Bella. Please come join the Discussion Forums where you’ll find lots of folks who have been in your shoes OK? Hope to see you there, and that Bella has many great days ahead.
I’m sorry you guys i am still n horrible pain I lost my baby Betty to this evil disease she was 13.7 yrs I miiss her dearly and cry everyday it has been 3 months since her passing and i’m still trying to pick the pieces up. She was given the same prognosis and was high on her femur that would have required a pelvic resection along with amputation. Unfortunately she f a turned her tumor leg 11 days later and I had to say goodnight d bye it was the hardest thing i ever did.
Dan, our heart goes out to you, we are so sorry. Please consider sharing Betty’s life with us in the Coping with Loss Forum Topic. Not only is it therapeutic for you but we would also like to know more about your sweetie. Our deepest condolences go out to you.
Judy how long did your dog live….Im devastated my 10 year old pup has bone cancer in her front elbow….I will not amputate nor do chemo….I will keep her pain free as long as I can … would you email me and tell me your experience? I am heartbroken and dont know what to expect…thank you….sd@steviedecker.com
Stephanie, please visit the Tripawds Start Page where you’ll find tons of tips about what to expect after diagnosis. If you choose palliative care such as radiation therapy we have lots of support and info for that too.
my 10-year-old Rottweiler Isabella is going in for x-rays at the end of the week. I’ve been reading everything I can about bone cancer because that is what the vet thinks Isabella is suffering from. Thank you for your post.
I’m glad you found this helpful Linda. Best wishes to you and Isabella, please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help you both.
What blog do I need to join? My dog is my life and I just found out he has bone cancer.
You do not need a blog Marissa, but you can create a free blog anytime! Please start here for help navigating the many resources the Tripawds community has to offer.
We are going through the post operative dealings now. Our Lucy, a 4 year old German Shepherd, was diagnosed with canine bone cancer and we had the tumorous left rear leg amputated. The gamut of emotions we as humans feel for our beloved dogs is far worse then what our four legged family members feel. For all of us going through this, stay strong..I pray for all going through this .
Thanks for sharing your experience, Kurt. Best wishes to you and Lucy. We send many wishes for a speedy recovery and many more good times ahead. Please consider joining us in the Forums so we can follow along with your journey, we’re here to help.
Yes. My Best friend broke her leg 4 days ago and thinking we were going to the animal emergency room to get a cast we actually receive news from the vet that in the x-rays they suspected cancer in her left rear leg.
We were in shock to hear this news not having any signs of any illness, pain or problems with our 12 year old Huskey.
We were in denial and called over 4 different doctors back home to confirm what we were hearing. Living in Hawaii, We sometime tend to be 10 years behind the rest of the U.S.
All these terms and acronyms now being thrown at us was very overwhelming. Being here in Hawaii, also had a draw back of not being able to get results immediately. All our blood work had to be sent to California for examination which took an added 3 days before they would even decide what to do with our dogs fractured leg. Our poor husky was in pain over 4 day before finally getting the results we needed to make a best decision for survival for our Husky. The tests came back showing bone cancer and the doctors would not fix the leg and only wanted to amputate. Once again not prepared to make this decision we had no idea if this was really the right decision. Once again we went and ask for 3 other opinions of our test and all 3 gave us the same response of amputation.
We just brought Aspen home today and the incision is large and she is resting now at home. We are going to to a physical therapy for 3 legged dogs in two weeks. Now that the surgery is over and my best friend is home I really feel it is the best for a pain free life.
I am going to opening a blog for other families and owners to help each other while we continue thru our journey with our loving 3 legged best friends.
Melinda, Aspen and family, we’re so glad you found us. We’ve had other members in Hawaii over the years. Please come to our Discussion Forums and chime in, we’re here for you and lots of folks can answer your questions there. Can’t wait to see your blog too!
And also, Aspen’s first rehab appointment could be free if the clinic quaifies. Please see our Tripawds Foundation blog post about free rehab:
http://tripawds.org/2015/09/vet-rehab-reimbursement/
Glad to hear Aspen is home. Let us know what we can do to help make your journey easier.
This is my first comment and I don’t know which forum to comment in.
Tomorrow morning Jamie will have his left rear leg amputated due to cancer.
This site has given me hope. Thank you.
I am gearing up to buy an AST Get-A-Grip Harness. I just purchased the Bella hot & cold Pain Relief pad.
I understand that the doctors still don’t know which type of cancer Jamie has, whether it’s chondrasarcoma or osteosarcoma. After the amputation they are going to send away a large slice. Plus whole body x-rays and 3d lung & abdomen.
Does this sound familiar to anyone?